Is Traditional Marketing Dead? How to Use Traditional Marketing to Magnify Digital Marketing Strategies
By Brian Flook, MIRM, President of Power Marketing
Beware the urge to repeat the proven, regardless of the result. The temptation to continue doing what worked before is nearly irresistible. Whether it's using your "go to" fishing lure, driving the same route you're used to driving, or buying the same meal at your favorite restaurant.
This concept is especially true in marketing, despite the fact that the foundational premise behind most marketing has changed! We've spent decades crafting messages to deliver to our prospects. Those methods are known as outbound marketing. But guess what, your prospects aren't listening… unless they want to. In this present day of marketing, your challenge is to bring the prospective customers to your message, not the opposite. That's known as inbound marketing. Today, consumers choose you… or not.
That being said, the Internet is not a magical catchall for new clients and increased sales. Believe it or not, there are still people in 2011 without a cell phone and using dial-up Internet. Who think of "face time" as an in-person meeting, not an app on their iPhone. While many businesses are phasing out traditional marketing in lieu of better websites, email marketing and social media, that doesn't necessarily mean the "old-fashioned" style is completely ineffective… yet. The question then becomes, how do I use traditional marketing strategies, where appropriate, to magnify the more progressive techniques? Here are 3 questions to ask yourself when considering traditional marketing:
Who is my audience?
First and foremost, your message — and the way it's presented — must be relevant to your audience. Yes, it's true that Facebook boasts more than 750 million active users, and that 79% of adult Americans use the Internet, and that there are 10.3 Billion searches on Google every month. But we encounter people every day that still aren't on Facebook, or if they are, aren't active. Your challenge is to know your audience and decipher what messages inspire them to act, and then use that knowledge to bring the customer to your message. The message may be on Facebook, a blog, your website or any number of possibilities, but once you know the audience, you can potentially anticipate their destination and meet them there.
How can I get them online? Your Facebook marketing campaign can't be effective if your target audience doesn't use Facebook. There's no sense in creating and writing a blog if no one is reading it. And if you are relying on keywords to improve your organic search results, if you choose the wrong words no one will come. This is where traditional marketing can help lead your audience online. I like to use traditional media as a directional sign of sorts. Pointing the way to your online marketing where you can capture the prospects more effectively. Use a flyer, postcard, television commercial, print advertisement — whichever form will reach your audience — to lead them to your online marketing. Don't forget to give them an incentive to visit your Facebook page or website. People have largely learned to go online for shopping research; now use some traditional media to help get them there.
How can I merge traditional and Internet marketing into a cohesive strategy? The challenge is to know when to walk away from the accepted, occasionally proven, traditional marketing methods, and when to run. As with any marketing strategy, carefully define and outline your goals. Know that marketing has changed and is changing quickly, and interruptive marketing is becoming less and less tolerated. But if your audience is hesitant about the Internet, use compelling messages to direct them online, where it is imperative you are harnessing the unlimited marketing power of the Internet to achieve those goals.
Keep reading our Power Points for more tips about strengthening your marketing and brand strategy and online presence. To learn more about the ideas in this newsletter and others, visit our website at www.Power-Marketing.com or contact us at info@Power-Marketing.com.
